Dumb-waiter



A(No Model.) 4 Sheets-#Sheet 1.

' T. COLDWELL.

DUMB WAI'IER'.

No. 450,283. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

eo l (No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet a.

T. COLDWELL.

DUMB WAITER No. 450,283. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

T. COLDWB-LL.

DUMB WAITER.

No. 450,283. Piatente'dApr. 14,1891.

v i l .l

UNITED STATES ATENT Fries..

THOMAS COLDVELL, OF NEVBURG, NEV YORK.

DUIVIB-WAITER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,283, dated April 14, 1891.

Application tiled October 25, 1890. Serial No. 369,342. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS GOLDWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newburg, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dumb-Taiters or Elevators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to t-he accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dumb-waiters or elevators of that class employed in dwellings or mercantile establishments and the like for raising and lowering by hand small loads varying in weight from a few pounds to a hundred pounds, more or less; and the object of my present invention is to provide a simple and reliable automatic braking mechanism for arresting the motion of the cage, such mechanism being equally as effective when the cage has a light or heavy load, and being also easy of operation when a pullis applied to the hand-rope either to raise or lower the load.

lVit-h this primary end in view and such others as pertain to an invention of this nature my improvements consist in a novel braking appliance which normally acts to arrest the motion of the cage, either in raising or lowering the same, and which thereby effectually overcomes all tendency of the loaded cage to get beyond control or, to familiarly express it, to run away.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention I employ a stationary frame having suitable arms for supporting two diverging levers, which are suitably fulcrumed in said arms, and the outer ends of said levers carry loose sheaves or wheels over which passes theendless hand-rope that operates on a large sheavepulley to raise or lower the cage by frictional contact between said pulley and rope, said hand rope passing beneath the large sheave which is situated between the sheaves of the levers. This large or intermediate sheave is suitably Xed to one end of a shaft, which shaft passes through and is journaled in a vertically movable or adjustable bearing or hanger that is in turn connected with and is common to the vsheave-carrying levers, whereby the strain on either side of the hand-rope serves to operate one of the levers to lift the bearing or hanger a limited distance. The aforesaid sha ft also carries a ,brake-wheel and a sheave-pulley7 over which sheave-pulley passes the rope to which the counterweight is connected. Against the periphery of the brake-wheel or disk normally bears or presses the stationary brake or brakeblock, which is kept in contact with the disk by the weight of the shaft and associated parts and operates to retard and arrest the motion of the brake-wheel and the shaft, said shaft being movable with the adjustable bearing to utilize the weight of the shaft, the sheaves, and the parts associated therewith, as well as the weight of the load in the cage, to depress the shaft and brake-wheel and insure the necessary frictional contact between the brake-Wheel and brake-blockto retard the shaft at all timesand under varying conditions of the load in the cage.

My invention further consists in the combination and construction of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a dumb-waiter embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view through the vertically-movable bearing or hanger and the parts associated therewith. Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken transversely through the braking mechanism and contiguous devices on the plane indicated by the dotted line x of Fig. l. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the bearing or hanger and one of the levers, respectively. Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of wear-compensating device for the brake proper. Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, inwhich like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, l designates the ver- -tically1novable cage and 2 the endless handrope, which are common to dumb-waiters or elevators of the class to which my invention relates.

In the practical application of my improvements to a dumb-Waiter I provide a stationary support 3 for the operating mechanism,

which may be in the form of an open work frame or a solid plank or piece ot' wood of snitable dimensions and form. Un this support 3 aresecured the plates t Y5,pret"erably situated on opposite sides of the support and bolted thereto by through-bolts, each plate having a rib or fiange G,which rests upon the upper edge of the support. suitable distance from each other to accommodate the verticallymovable bearing or hanger 7, which is fitted between said fixed supporting-plates, and is connected thereto in such a manner as to be free to move the j necessary vertical distance and to be guided j thereby, this connection between the supporti ing-plates and the bearing or hanger being I preferably secured by making the bearing oblong, square, or of other polygonal figure and fitting the same in suitably-shaped slots 8 8 in said fixed supporting-plates, the slots being somewhat longer than the depth of the bearing to permit the latter io have the neccssary vertical play.

10 designates the shaft, which is journaled at one end in a suitable bearing 11, and the other end of said shaft passes through the vertically-movable bearing or hanger 7, that operates in the slotted plates. To the end of the shaft outside of the support and the fixed plates thereon is rigidly secured the large or intermediate sheave or pulley 12, and to this same shaft at a suitable point within the support and the plates is xed the brake-wheel 13, a third wheel or sheave-pulley 14 being secured to said shaft within the brake-wheel and serving as a guide and friction-pulley to direct the counterweight-cord l5 from the cage to the sheave-pulley 16 and thence to the counter-weight 17.

The brake-wheel13 may have a suitable covering on its periphery to increase the friction between itself` and a brake -block 18, which is held in a stationary position on the side of the fixed support. To compensate for wear between the brake-wheel and the brake,

and thus enable the parts to ooact efficiently for a long time after the apparatus begins to wear, I make the brake-block adjustable toward the brake-wheel, which adj usiability may be attained in either of two ways-one 1 as shown in Fig. 4 and the other as indicated i in Fig. 7. In the device shown in Fig. a I pivot one end of the brake-block to the support by a suitable bolt or pin 19, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1,) and the free end of said block is adjusted by a screw 20, operating in a fixed bracket 20', the adjustment of the screw and brake-block being determined as the exigen- 1 In the embodicies of the case may require. ment of this part of my improvements (illustrated by Fig. 7) I form a series of graduated recesses 21 in the lower face of the block at each end thereof, and in the series of such g snugly to the block 18 and serve as the supi ports therefor.

The plates are separated a ,l "lhe fixed supporting-plates, which receive l and guide the vertically-movable bearing, are i further provided with upwardly-extending j: arms :23 23', each plate having two arms, l between these two pairs of arms are arranged i the levers 24: 25, which are each pivoted in a i pair of said arms by a suitable bolt, pinnor j by trunni-ons at 26. The levers are each pivoted near one end and have the two arms arranged at an obtuse angle to each other, the longer arms ot' such levers extendingoutward and upward from the fixed supporting-plates, while the shorter arms of the levers extend inward toward each other for a purpose presently explained.

The levers, or either of them, are designed to lift the vertically-movable bearing, and thus raise the shaft sufficiently to ease the friction between the brake-wheel and the brake-block when the waiter is either to be raised or lowered, and to makethe necessary connection between the levers and the bear- 1 ing I provide the latter with a vertical solid neck 28, that terminates in an enlarged chambered or hollow head 29, which parts project between the arms of the supportingplates and are so disposed that the inner ends or short arms of both levers fit neatly into the hollow head of the bearing or hanger to adapt either of said levers to lift the hanger the necessary distance. At the outer end of each of the levers I loosely mount or support a sheave, one to each lever, numbered 30 31, and between which is arranged the large intermediate pulley. over the sheave 30, thence underneath the large intermediate wheel 12, and thence over the other small wheel or sheave 31, the friction between the endless handrope and sheaves or pulleys being sufficient to rotate them when the hand-rope is drawn up or down, and the cage being lifted by the friction of the weight-rope on the small sheave or pulley 14 when the hand-rope is pulled to raise the cage.

In operation the brake-wheel normallyT rests in close cont-act with the xed brake-block, and the weight of the shaft, the several sheaves, and the adjacent parts, as well as the weight of the load, is utilized to secure the necessary frictional contact between the brake-block and brake-wheel to arrest the shaft, and thus the brake normally locks or confines the cage in place and prevents movement thereof (except by the hand-rope) when it is loaded. To lift the cage and load, the side of the hand-rope marked Z is drawn down upon, which operates to depress the free end of one of the levers, and thereby lift the heel or short arm of said lever, which thus lifts the bearing or hanger, the shaft, and the brake-wheel, the latter clearing the brakeblock while the pull is continued; but instantly the pull ceases the brake-wheel again engages the brake-block, and thus locks the parts in place. in lowering the cage the opi eration is somewhat similar; but in this in- IIO stance the otherside of tlie liand-rope (marked Q) is pulled down, whereupon the other lever is depressed and raises the bearing or hanger, thereby disengaging the brake-wheel and the block; but when the pull ceases the wheel is again forced into frictional engagement with the block to confine the shaft against rotation and prevent movement of the cage.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 8 I employabrake-band 18, connected at its ends to the levers 24 and 25 and acting upon the wheel 13, and employ a spring 32, connected to the levers, to normally draw the levers inward, and thereby cause the band to press against and prevent the wheel 13 from turning. The levers are pivoted at their inner ends, which ends are formed with gears 25X, meshing, and when it is desired to raise or lower the cage either of the levers is drawn down and the brake-band released from the wheel 13, and when the levers are released they are returned to their initial position by the spring', effecting the stopping of the cage.

Changes in the proportion and arrangement of parts may be made witliont departing from the spirit of my invention.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a dumb-Waiter or elevator, the combination of the plates, the main shaft mounted therein, the vertically-movable bearing for said shaft, the levers connected to said bearing, the large and small pulleys, the handlrope passing over said pulleys, and a brake.

2. In a dumb-waiter or elevator, the combination of a easing or frame, plates or supports secured to said frame, movable bearings mounted in said plates, a main shaft mounted in the bearings and carrying a large pulley and brake-wheel, a counterpoised cage, levers pivotally mounted in the plates and adapted to engage the movable bearings of the main shaft, pulleys on said levers, and a handrope passing over said pulleys and under the large pulley on the main shaft, adapted to operate as described.

3. In a dumb-Waiter, the combination of a counterpoised cage, the intermediate sheave or pulley, the exterior sheaves, the hand-cord passing over the outside sheaves and beneath the intermediate sheave, the levers which carry said exterior sheaves, the vertically-movable bearing, the shaft mounted in said bearing, and a brake for the shaft.

4. In a dumb-waiter, the combination of a cage, the shaft, the counterpoise having its supporting-rope passed over the shaft and connected to the cage, the vertically-movable bearing for said shaft, the levers connected t0 said bearing, and the hand-rope connected to said levers to tilt the same and operate the bearing, and the brake, as set forth.

5. In a dumb-Waiter or elevator, the combi` nation of the supports, the shaft mounted therein, the counterpoised cage, the movable bearing for the shaft, the levers pivoted to said supports and having their inner ends engaging the movable bearing, the guide-pulleys, the hand-cord traveling thereon, and a brake, all adapted to operate as described.

6. In a dumb-Waiter, the combination of a counterpoised cage, a shaft, avertically-inovable bearing therefor, the levers connected to said bearing and each having a guide-sheave, the pulley carried by said shaft and arranged between the guide-sheaves, the liand-cord passed beneath the intermediate pulley and over the sheaves, a brake-wheel on the shaft, and a brake-block for said wheel, all adapted to operate as described.

'7. In a dumb-waiter, the combination of a counterpoised cage, t-lie movable shaft carrying the brake-wheel, the stationary brakeblock adapted for engagement with s aid brake-Wheel, means for positively adjusting the brake-block relatively to the brake-wheel, the hand-cord, and devices operated by said hand-cord to apply or release the brake relatively to the shaft, substantially as described.

S. In a dumb-waiter or elevator, the combination of a casing, supports carried thereby, a shaft in said supports, a sheave on said shaft, a counterpoised cage connected to said pulley, a brake for said shaft, a large pulley,

.a vertically-movable bearing for the shaft,

levers pivoted to the supports and having their inner ends engaging said bearing, sheaves near the outer ends of the levers, and a hand-cord passing over the large and small sheaves or pulleys, all arranged and adapted to operate as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

TI'IOIWIAS COLDIVELL.

Witnesses:

FRANK G. KIMBALL, E. E. RoosA.

IOO 

